65 barangay chiefs, 8 city councilors to join Duterte camp

CEBU, Philippines - At least 65 of Cebu City's 80 barangay captains and eight city councilors belonging to Team Rama Panaghiusa are moving to President Rodrigo Duterte's party Partido Demokratiko Pilipino Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) and are expected to take their oath this Saturday.

City Councilors Raymond Alvin Garcia and Jose Daluz III said House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez will administer the oath to them at the Cebu Country Club.

Garcia said they strongly wanted to join PDP-Laban to fast-track the implementation of most of the projects of the president.

"The president does not have any incumbent (city) councilor (allied with him), not even barangay official nga iyahang kaalyado. For me, I believe nga in order for us to be able to implement most, if not all, of his projects for the good of Cebu, dapat naay local arm that can help him…. That's basically my number one reason," he said.

Garcia said PDP-Laban asked if they were interested to join the party and they accepted the offer.

According to him, they were consulted by the PDP-Laban to join the party and they accepted the opportunity "for the good of the Cebuanos".

Daluz, though, said they could not yet give details about their transfer to the administration party as they still have to meet with other Team Rama members.

He said, though, defeated United Nationalist Alliance presidential candidate Jejomar Binay, a Team Rama ally, understood and welcomed their move. Garcia also said they were not also really UNA members since they did not take their oath and were only nominated as its candidates in Cebu City.

The other Team Rama city councilors joining PDP-Laban are James Anthony Cuenco, Eduardo Rama, Jerry Guardo, Joel Garganera, Nendell Hanz Abella, and Jocelyn Pesquera.

City Councilor Pastor "Jun" Alcover will not join them as he was identified as "anti-Duterte", which he refused to elaborate.

"Ako I am with Team Rama, I always support Team Rama. I always support whatever political move nga ilang pagahimoon pero I would like to be consistent on my advocacy consistent on due process of law, mao ra na," he said.

City Councilor David Tumulak, a former Team Rama member who declared yesterday that he was already "independent" of any political party, said he, too, would not be involved in the oath-taking ceremony.

"Because of the so much vigilante killings, extrajudicial killings, dili na nako ma-afford nga grabe na. 'Nya moadto ko didto for the sake of political party?  No way." Tumulak said.

Daluz then said it is okay that not all Team Rama allies are joining PDP-Laban, saying the others are free to choose their own direction.

Meanwhile, Association of Barangay Councils vice president and Apas Barangay Captain Ramil Ayuman said they could not yet comment on their transfer to PDP-Laban as they still have to meet today all their ally barangay captains.

Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, also of Team Rama, had already started distributing the PDP-Laban guidelines and the membership application form furnished by Presidential Assistant for Visayas Michael Dino.   (FREEMAN)